Duo Maxwell: To Love, To Live, To lose
by thejasonresno
Summary: It was a terrible pain. it was a real pain. Not a stomach or head ache, no. It was the feeling of your heart exploding in your chest. "Hilde...but why?" When it all goes to hell Duo falls back on the only friends in his life. Complete
1. Chapter 1

Kryptonite...Superman

by thejasonresno

Disclaimer: Yes, I own Gundam Wing.

Authors Note: WARNING, this is a character study so there is a lot of introspection. There will also be many mature themes. So be warned.

It was a beautiful day on Earth. Storm clouds covered as far as the eye could see and winds rushed to and fro blowing the slowly turning leaves right off of their branches. People hurried to and from their car and house avoiding the elements as much as possible. Nature would rule today.

Duo loved it. You see, there were never any storms out there on the colonies. Space was so void of anything. Often times, as an orphan, Duo would find himself laying on a rusted shell of a car just lost in the void of it all. So he relished the rain that now began to batter the windows of the room.

"Heh," Duo grunted at the weather from the computer chair he sat at. "No more workin' outside today."

The youth glanced at his watch and then reclined in his chair. It was just a little before four o clock and business for the day had died with the advent of the storm. On a normal day of work Duo would rise at six and be home at six that night. Tonight, the retired pilot figured, he deserved the two hours off.

"I've made an executive decision," he announced to the empty room, "I'm going home early!"

The coffee maker bubbled.

He leaned down, turned off the computer and then hopped lightly to his feet. He paused in his movements to listen to a particularly loud crack of thunder and then began to turn off the lights and lock up.

'What to do with my free time...what to do...' the young man glanced back into the dark empty room as he stood in the doorway to leave. 'I think I'll surprise Hilde.' With a wide grin the ex pilot turned from his job and dashed through the rain to his beat up black Grand Am sitting in the parking lot.

He struggled with the keys and tried to unlock the door, several times leaving small scratches around the keyhole, and finally managed to get in and shut the door behind him. He could already tell his hair was going to frizz up. Dammit.

Ever since the Gundam Pilots finished off Mariemais uprising three years ago things had begun to become steady if not pleasant for the pilots and soldiers of that war. Duo fled to Earth with Hilde to, of course, open up their own junkyard and manage and sell parts to fuel Duos fledgling obsession with cars. Heero, though he'd never admit it, became the very ghost of Relena Peacecraft and—Duo swore it was so—had fallen in love with the naive girl.

The other guys didn't have such a romantic ending to their journey. Quatre went back to his families mansion to ensure that things didn't go awry—he now oversaw most of their affairs and was quickly becoming a popular political figure—and enjoy a more peaceful life. Trowa stayed with Quatre on his leave from the Circus, where he was becoming a popular entertainer, and Wufei found solace living in a bachelor pad down street from a Tojo he was helping to mentor in.

So all in all things were going great for the guys. They stayed in touch and even met up every couple of months or so to renew old ties. Duo was happy with his life. He was legitimately happy.

A clap of thunder brought Duo back to his senses and he ran his hands through his wet hair. He cursed again under his breath and started the car. The drive home from the junkyard wasn't terribly long-about twenty city minutes-so Duo decided to drop by a florist and pick up some flowers for 'his gal'.

The florist, dear old Miss Ethel, was nearing 75 years old so Duo easily disregarded the skeptical glances she gave him. Apparently he didn't fit the profile of a flower collector, as he assured her he most certainly was.

His braided bobbed and swayed with him as he bounced on the balls of his feet waiting for the old lady to confirm the purchase. He was impatient, he'd make no qualms about it, but this was _ridiculous. _His eyes wandered from the gray poof of her hair to the yellow polka dotted outfit Miss Ethel wore. He looked at the apron she had covering her, stained in dirt, and tried to read the catchphrase on their. 'w---r -y flo-r-s' seemed like an awfully dirty thing to have for an old woman.

He shook his head with a grin and sobered up at her cough. "If you wanna keep staring you gotta pay extra young man."

He furrowed an incredulous eyebrow at her playful yet suddenly erotic wink she was feeding him. He momentarily toyed with the idea, found it disgusting, and fled the lady that he would hopefully never cross paths with again.

'She _would_ know what she's...what're you thinking Duo? That's disgusting'.

He hopped back into his car and drove down the road spraying water off of his tires and into the sidewalk. Duo left the dirtied sidewalk behind.

Duo checked the watch that hung on his slender wrist, 4:16, and grinned. Hilde would go absolutely _crazy_ over his little surprise. The pilot chuckled quietly as he thought about how the flowers wouldn't be the only surprise he gave his girl when he got home.

Ever since they 'got serious' Hilde had complained that Duo lacked a true passion for romance and all of the subtle nuances that made relationships beautiful. She loved him deeply, she'd assure him, and she cherished all the laughs he gave her. Apparently he just didn't have that tact for romance that, and this shocked him into calling and ribbing his friend, 'that Heero Yuy has'. Apparently Relena and Hilde kept quite the gossip line open. And, well, anyways Duo refused to lay naked in a bed of rose petals for her.

'That'd itch woman and don't tell me Mr. Yuy did it cause I'm sure he'd never do anythin' like that.' He would often assure her.

With all of his introspection Duo was almost unaware of the flashing red light and he had to slam on his blanks, thank God for his cars ABS, and narrowly avoid getting t-boned by some chick on a phone.

The now slightly frazzled pilot turned left and soon pulled into the lot next to their apartment building. Well, it was _her_ apartment not his but...it was home.

Grabbing hold of his frizzy braid, dammit, and his flowers he ran across the lot to the door and managed to get inside without crushing the flowers. He took one fleeting glance out the glass windows at the overcast and wet day and then walked forwards and up the stairs to their shared apartment.

By the time he reached their floor he had already begun to look down at his greasy at best outfit. Oh well, she loved him, and he was sure that the flowers would be the focus. This was the second time he ever got her flowers. The first time was for their first 'official' date. Looking back on it Duo realized he spent far too much money on overly garnished food and the 'best' wine. In Duos mind there was no such thing as good wine. But 'Movies don't lie Duo. Didn't you even watch the movie tonight? It was so romantic...wine just sets the mood!'

He rolled his eyes and laughed quietly under his breath. He had to admit that he missed the youthful fun of their dating days. Ever since he took over the yard completely he barely had time for her. He was either working or at home sleeping. He regretted that and resolved to change.

He reached their door, 2F16, and went to turn the knob.

It resisted. Hilde never locked the doors. He dismissed it and pulled out his keys and let himself inside. The apartment had no illusions of grandeur but it did sufficient in what it had. They had a comfortable living area with a large TV and an L shaped leather couch. The kitchen was modest but clean and located in the same open room as the living area. Duo liked the openness.

And then it hit him. The stillness. The quietness. Something was wrong. He walked over and set the flowers on the island table of the kitchen and threw his jack on the floor. He cracked his knuckles and his heart began to pound slightly.

Hilde should be home, he was sure of it, she said she had housecleaning to do and besides her purse was here. For a wild instant he feared to find her body somewhere. But he was sure she would have put up a struggle.

He crouched slightly and began to ghost his way to the small hallway that led to the bathroom and two bedrooms. And that's when he heard it. A soft _creak-creak_ surrounded by low husky voices.

Duos heart began to hammer in a whole different fashion and he suddenly straightened himself ram-rod and proceeded down the hallway to the room they shared together. Ashamed of what he was doing but unable to do otherwise, he set his ear quietly to the door.

'Oh, oh.' Hilde.

'Mmm you like that huh?' A husky deeper voice replied.

His head began to swim and his knees got shaky and in an instant these symptoms were replaced by a scarlet flush across his face. In his own bed. With the girl he loved. The girl who loved him.

His knuckles began to turn white and his breathing got heavier. On a whim he decided he had to know. He had to see who it was that could so sweep Hilde away from him.

He threw the door open faster than he thought he could and was greeted by Hildes shameful attempt to cover up. It was futile. Hilde was on her knees, sweating heavily, with her backside raised in the air. The man behind her was mounted and apparently didn't care for the interruption as he continued to pump away.

For an instant the scene froze. Duo looked at Hilde with a detached soul. He felt nothing as he glanced from her surprised but euphoric face, to her swaying breasts, up her body to the man behind her.

He continued to feel nothing as he looked at the man. In an instant all of his anger was gone. He didn't even know the man. He was trim with dirty blond hair and a tattoo on the underside of his wrist.

The scene came unfroze like a glass bowl shattering on the floor. All at once the words came pouring out at exactly the same time.

"What the hell Hilde?

"Who is this guy?" The tattooed man grunted as he fell from her and covered himself.

"I'm so sorry Duo it's not...not..." She bowed her head. The lie was useless.

Inside Duo gave one last scream, like a planet exploding, and then became numbed. The tinges of his vision started to black and he turned from the scene. He ran his hands up his priest uniform, looked at the ground, and then walked back out the door.

He heard Hilde clamber off the bed and wrap herself in a blanket. "Duo wait! He doesn't mean anything to me!"

Duo paused slightly and heard the mans indignant cry of, "That's not what you were saying ten minutes ago, lady."

The braided Duo Maxwell couldn't find the anger to turn and attack the man. Maybe he'd regret not doing it while he had the chance. Or maybe not. What he saw wasn't rape.

"Goodbye Hilde."

Duo picked up his coat and walked out of the apartment. Hilde walked up to the door and was greeted by the rush of wind that accompanied the slam that Duo had gifted it with.

The flowers fell onto the ground.

Thunder clapped again but this time it was a distant noise...something detached and outside of Duo. Something he couldn't care about. In truth the young man could find very little he did care about.

He reached the doors that lead back out to the parking lot and paused. He looked at his pale reflection in the rain pattered glass. He was pale. Tears ran unchecked at the corner of his eyes. The American put on his coat and stepped back outside into nature.

Authors Note: Hello everyone! This is my first fanfic in a while so...just bare with me :). I hope I dod OK at didn't make the sex scene too raunchy. What I'm doing here is making a character study for Duo Maxwell. I'm going to put him through some terrible times, and some great times and try to make him into a 3D person. Stay tuned for updates and as always READ AND REVIEW.


	2. Chapter 2

Fallen

by thejasonresno

A/N: Welcome to chapter two :).

The storm had begun to roll through town and was quickly making work of anything dry. Duo shook his head sending droplets streaming off of his hat.

Outside of 'his' apartment building a young Duo Maxwell stood numb to the world. A lot of things had happened to him in his life. He had lost many loved ones to war and had fought and killed many people. But nothing had him in in the heart like the previous events had.

Coming home to surprise the one girl he'd ever loved...he had found her with another man. Literally: just some guy. To himself the braided pilot almost wished he _had_ known the guy. At least being betrayed by a friend would evoke some emotion in his soul. But there wasn't any.

He shook his head again and began walking back to his car. His eyes glazed over as he relived that horrid moment over and over again in his head. Hilde's bare sweaty body held up against another mans. The look of shame and pleasure that washed over her features.

'Well,' he sighed to himself, 'I hope it was worth it.'

Finally inside of his car, the one that hadn't even completely cooled down, Duo sat dripping. He slowly brought his dead eyes up and stared out the windshield. The storm overhead had given no sign of stopping and was even beginning to worsen. He'd have to sleep at the shop and then take it from there.

In moments of utter distress we often lose sight of how big our problems our, and Duo did. His only worry was the nights sleep, refusing to think of how his life would soon change.

He withdrew his keys from his pocket and put them into the ignition and shifted to drive. Pulling out of his parking space haphazardly, and narrowly missing the car next to him, he drove out and down the road back towards work.

He knew himself he was in no condition to drive, and in fact he was reminded several times by the people behind and ahead of him, but he continued on. He had to. Though sleeping in the office chair didn't exactly sound inviting. A far cry from in the comforting arms of Hilde in the bed their bodies would warm every night.

He choked back a sob as the vision of her with the man flooded his memories. In the back of his head he wondered if all of their good times would be washed from his mind by this event. He didn't doubt it.

But he was broke from his pondering by a beeping from the cellphone in his pocket. The American reached a slender hand down into his pants and withdrew the phone.

TO LOVE TO LIVE TO LOSE.

The young man fought with himself momentarily...wondering if he was ready to talk to anyone. But eventually comfort defeated self pity and he answered the phone.

"Hey Yuy."

Even to himself his voice sounded strained and distant.

Ever the perfect soldier this detail was picked up immediately. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing..." Somehow saying the words out loud made them real, he wasn't ready for that.

"Right," deciding not to push it Heero plunged on. "Tomorrow night. Seven o clock in Little Italy. You and Hilde, Relena and myself. Dinner?"

The American almost smiled. Any other day the thought of an invitation from Heero, of all people, would have had him bouncing on his feet ready to leave at that moment. But today wasn't any other day. The sudden realization hit him like a fist and his vision turned black around the corners.

"You know I don't think I can make it." Duo's voice cracked and he could feel his throat tighten.

On the other end Heero was sitting on the couch with little Relena curled up into his arms. She was half asleep and in her pajamas. The perfect soldiers chest tightened, he loved her.

"Get over here Maxwell,"

Duo began to protest.

"That's an order."

And the click of Heero's phone hanging up resounded in his ear.

Duo closed his phone and sat it on the seat next to him. Maybe it was for the best. Remove the ability to decide from his hands and things would surely go better. The braided pilot wasn't exactly in the most clear headed moods.

He pulled into an alley and turned around heading towards the place that the Yuy's now called home. It was a short drive to their small but comfortable house. And Duo was glad. The storm had continued to pick up and at times was pushing his car towards the middle of the road.

But maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing. Maybe a semi could swerve just a tiny bit and clip him enough to send him careening.

Instantly the usually jovial pilot was ashamed. She was just a girl. And he had plenty of things in his life to keep going for. Still, the temptation was there.

TO LOVE TO LIVE TO LOSE.

Duo arrived shortly thereafter and pulled in behind Heero's jeep. He threw the shifter into park, turned the car off, and jogged lightly up the driveway to their door. As he expected, it was locked and barred several times.

"Lemme in!" Duo shouted over the rain and wind as he pounded on the door.

The American jogged in place to keep warm until he was rewarded by the slow unlocking and opening of the door. He all but fell into their home.

And it was a home. Heero and Relena had gotten married less than a year after the war ended and taken up residence just down town from Duo and Hilde. The two couples were amazingly close and spent most of their time, that was free, with eachother. Heero worked from home as a preventer's agent and did problem solving and occasionally went out on small missions. Relena, beautiful Relena, was just content to be out of politics. Her pride was in her ability to curl up next to her chocolate haired husband at night.

Duo didn't blame her. What he would give for that feeling of contentment was beyond him.

Inside the doorway Duo saw Heero get up from the couch, ease Relena down—she was asleep—and walked towards his braided friend. They exchanged a quiet handshake.

"Leave your shoes here, then to my office."

Heero looked Duo's face over, "You've changed."

It was a statement but the Prussian eyes pierced Duo's soul. He expected answers. In his office, of course. That was where guy talk and any serious business went down.

Duo watched Heero turn on his heels and walk towards the office upstairs. Duo had to smile. Married life agreed with the man. In place of gym shorts and tanktops the ex soldier now found himself wearing baggy sweatpants and an old "ARMY" t-shirt. He hadn't let his body go, completely the opposite in fact. With his sudden plethora of free time he had built a small gym in the basement that the two men would often retreat to in favor of time away from their women.

Duo followed.

"So what happened?" Heero sat in his leather office chair and reclined slightly, letting his elegant wrist prop his chin up.

They sat in the office of Heero and as you would expect, it was sparsely decorated. But it was efficient. Mostly white walls from end to end (except for spots where Relena had infiltrated and hung pictures of the couple, Heero didn't mind those.) and a computer and small bookshelf took up the rest of the room.

Duo leaned back on a slightly smaller chair and put his hands behind his head. His legs were crossed at his ankles and his face was decidedly blank. Duo cast his eyes at the floor.

Heero sighed. "Nobody can help you if you won't let them." There was command in his monotone voice.

"I know that. But." Duo grunted and decided he'd be straightforward. "Hilde cheat on me."

Duo had to admire Heero. As he traced his friends face only a semi second of shock registered before disappearing behind his serious expression. "When?"

Heero was treating this like a mission.

"Tonight. And probably many more times." Duo sighed, crestfallen. Had Hilde always been cheating on him? She insisted that it meant nothing but...can you trust a word a cheater says? The though crushed his very spirit.

"With who?" Yuy refused to give Duo the time to wallow in his own depression.  
"I don't even know him Heero."

Silence.

"I could kill him for you."

Duo choked out a bitter laugh.

Silence and Duo's mouth silently went to an 'O' as he realized it wasn't a joke. Heero quickly changed the subject.

"I think you should stay here, Duo." His voice softened, "I'll talk to Relena. I'm sure she'll be a big help."

A weight lifted off of Duo's chest, albeit not a very big one, and he awarded his married friend a small smile. "Thanks, I...I appreciate it."

"You can have the couch or guest bedroom. Whatever you want. Make yourself at home just not..too at home." This last statement was added almost lightly, "I intend to get to the bottom of this."

Duo nodded, not allowing himself to voice that there was nothing to 'get to'. Hilde used him. And a wave of despair rolled over him again.

TO LOVE TO LIVE TO LOSE

That's it for now folks! I cut this chapter a little shorter because there are a lot of things I want to add to this part of the story. And instead of making one long chapter I'll make two shorter ones!


	3. Chapter 3

_Wake Up_

_by JasonResno_

_Authors Note: STILL ALIVE!_

The Prussian eyed man folded his hands in his lap. The calloused but infinitely gentle hands wrung at each other.

"How could she do this?"

The statement was one that had been muttered various times and with different volumes of emotion behind it.

He shook his head, his tousled chocolate hair already a mess, and leaned back against the pillow.

A smooth hand draped itself on his masculine chest as if to ease the dull ache that pounded his body.

"Things will work out." The words were soft and seemed to hang in the air before a rough sigh destroyed them.

"How can they Rel?"

Even the perfect soldier could not hide the anger in his voice. Hilde had been a close friend to him as well as Relena. The betrayal hurt thrice because of it.

Heero rolled onto his side to face her. "His life revolved around her. The shop. The apartment. Living here so close to us."

She took his face between her soft hands and laced a kiss on his forehead.

"Things worked out between us. Right?"

The ex soldier averted his gaze from her pretty face.

GW

Duo sat up quickly. His flesh stuck with sweat to the Yuys leather sofa and his braid hung still at his side.

He had seen her face. Again and again. It was torture.

His boyish features were obscured in an expression of upmost grief. Wrinkles laced his brow where he had been frowning in his sleep.

In war you were trained to kill without feeling. When subjected to it enough you became acclimated. Much like easing a limb into a cold pool or submerging onself underwater. These things you could handle, if done enough, and so you were capable of continuing.

However experiencing your heart breaking every night was not something you could get used to.

It had been a week. A week since the incident', as they liked to refer to it as, and nothing had changed.

He was still living off of their sofa. He barely went in to work. She refused to take his calls.

Out of shame, perhaps, Heero had proposed as the two relaxed in front of a football game.

A baleful glance from Duo stopped the speculation.

Was there shame in falling out of love? Duo didn't know. He had never done it before. He certainly had never cheated on Hilde either.

The whole thing was absurdly heinous. His beautiful girlfriend. The one he had planned to cherish from the get go. The one he was planning on proposing to.

The 'perfect' dates where he acted a fool and she just smiled with fondness. The days they spent at the local parks playing with stray puppies. Was it all a sham?

Not only had he lost her now but all of the memories they had shared were tainted. How could he look back on any of the 'golden' days and think anything but her moans of pleasure as some stranger stole what was his.

It just couldn't happen. At least that was what he was trying to convince himself.

He rolled nimbly off of the couch and stretched. He glanced down at the clock that blinked on their DVD player. Six in the morning. He had managed to sleep in today.

Rolling his strong shoulders he glanced around the dimly lit room. The sun was still rising and the shades had been cracked open. Hearing footsteps across the house he sat back onto the couch in attempt to be unnoticable.

"It's alright Maxwell, just me." Heeros gravelly voice broke the silence.

"Yeah, I figured." The reply was short.

Things were still oddly tense around the house. Duo didn't know why or how to explain it. He appreciated what Heero and Relena were doing for him but he just couldn't enjoy living off of charity.

Heero walked into the living room and plopped into a recliner near the leather couch. He set his feet on the table as he took a delicate sip of coffee.

"You're up early, Yuy."

It was both a statement and a question.

Heero sighed and refused to be baited. Ever since the incident Heero was convinced that Duo believed the same thing was just waiting to happen to every other man on the planet.

Quatre, on a visit earlier in the week, played at being politely confused but later confided to Heero that Duos insinuation was offensive.

"It's all good Maxwell."

He took another sip.

"You up for gettin' out and about today?"

Duo leaned back sulkily. "What's the point? I'm closed Sundays anyways. Or do you want to get rid of me too?"

The perfect soldier barely hid the glint of anger in his eyes but was unable to completely stop his brow from furrowing in hurt.

_"_Actually," he began with some frost in his voice. "The guys and I were going to hit up Donnies and play. We needed a vocalist tonight."


	4. Chapter 4

_Therapy_

_by Jason Resno_

_AN: Since I left you waiting so long you guys get an extra long chapter!_

Sweat began to pearl at his brow and he could swear they all heard the hammering of his heart somehow.

The microphone shook slightly in his hand but the motion went largely unnoticed by the small crowd.

In the back Relena gave a catcall which met a scattered applause.

From a stool three feet away a few elegant and resonant notes were birthed from the beautifully cared for acoustic guitar that young Quatre treated as his own child.

His gentle eyes were half closed and staring into a different place. His foot lightly tapped along to the rhythm he was setting. His sandy blond hair obscured the lines in his brow.

From the other end of the stage the unmistakable thud of the bass guitar arose.

With his unibang in all its glory Trowa continued to build on the rhythm. His beautiful face slightly canted in an imitation of utmost concentration.

Which was completely a show, mind you. Trowa Barton could play near anything with his eyes closed and one hand in his lap.

From directly behind the three men came the thud and crack of a dark and heavy beat. This was pounded out by the Perfect Soldier himself. His strong and broad shoulders were crammed into a tight wife beater. His hair was gone from its perfect styling and instead seemed to move to and fro of its own along with his head movements.

Then Duo brought the mic to his mouth. He swallowed and glanced down at the scrabbled lyrics.

The song was called "Wild Wing". He had written it on the way to the bar. The other guys had written music together during his convalescence and they needed someone to add vocals to it.

Wufei had refused adamantly despite his strong voice saying that his true power was in a ring, not behind a microphone.

So here he was. Heartbroken but recovering. On a stage in front of twenty or thirty people gazing blankly at him.

In the back of the room he caught smiles from Relena and Catherine. He smiled weakly and then plunged in to the flow of the music.

The world seemed to turn to mist and float in technicolor mist all around them. Collectively their four hearts beat into one common objective.

Music. Life. Love. Friendships. Nothing mattered or could matter during those four minutes.

A deep exhalation. Everything could be alright.

The braided youths eyes closed and his voice hoarsely came to a close. Quatre continued to play a sweet and melancholy guitar rhythm. The room seemed to spin around him. Everything was at once too bright and too beautiful.

He clipped the mic back on its stand and began walking off the stage. Catherine made to stand up to walk after him but Relena touched her arm gently.

From the stage Heero watched his friend go. Under his breath he muttered, "Finally."

GUNDAM WING

Outside of the club the stars were fighting with the lights of the city.

Duo looked down from the sky to the broken sidewalk under his feet. He breathed out and breathed in. The streets seemed empty.

And then he heard it. It sounded like the breaking of a glass bottle and then a scream.

Instinct kicked in as he sprinted towards the source.

GUNDAM WING

"You really don't think we should go after him?"

"Music is therapy to him, Cathy. He's out there thinking his stuff through."

Quatre responded firmly but the gentle clasp on her hand remained that way.

Heero tipped back a bottle of beer and then nodded, "Winner is right. Let him sort himself out."

The perfect soldier leaned over and pecked Relena on the cheek.

"Sometimes," Heero began. "You just have to rely on yourself."

The blond woman next to him raised an eyebrow. Heero didn't notice.

GUNDAM WING

The alley was dark and glass was crunching under his feet. The stench of garbage was thick.

He was across the street in an alley neighboring one of the various clubs in this section of town. He could hear the drum and bass through the concrete walls.

In the shadows cast by a street light Duo could see two people outlined on the concrete wall, just around the corner.

They were standing so close their forms almost blended into one larger shadow.

For a moment he questioned whether he should continue. They were probably just a drunk couple having fun.

But that scream...

He steeled himself and walked slowly, semi crouched, towards the bend in the alley.

Then he heard it. A whimpering and pathetic moan followed by the unmistakable sound of flesh smacking against flesh.

"Please...no..."

The voice was tinny and almost inaudible.

"What's so different now?"

Each word was clipped and interspersed with panting.

"I can't...can't do this anymore."

She was fighting to breath.

Suddenly Duo was around the corner. He didn't stop to take in the sight of Hilde pressed up against the brick wall, her skirt hiked up about her waist, and he certainly didn't stop to let the man pull his pants up.

"I'm always comin' at the wrong time, huh guy?"

The man, still engrossed in the memories of pleasure, was sluggish in his response. And probably wasted.

"Oh piss off she doesn't want you."

Those were the wrong words.

Duo saw red.

Maybe in a fair and sober fight the guy would have stood a chance. He had muscle and looked like he was prone to scrapping.

But Duo was pissed and ready to unleash. It was over before it realy began.

The man took an unsteady step towards Duo, heedless of his own nudity, and took a wild drunken swing.

The braided man dodged it lazily and swung in to feed the blonde a jaw cracking upper cut.

He flew backwards and was momentarily pressed to a dirty brick wall.

Behind him Duo vaguely heard Hilde cry out, "Don't kill him!"

He decided he'd heed that request. You didn't have to kill a man in order to cripple him.

Suddenly his strength fled him. His fists fell to his sides and slowly unclenched.

The man was on the ground in front of him curled into a pitiful ball. His jaw hung loose on his face. Probably broken. His eyes were half closed. Passed out from pain or drink, Duo suddenly didn't care.

Behind him Hilde had composed herself. At least that is to say she was fully clothed now.

He glanced once into her eyes and almost felt a stirring in his heart.

She was dressed for the clubs. A mini skirt and halter top. Her hair was wild from the night and her make up was smeared slightly on her face. Bags were heavy under her eyes and he thought he could see a bruise or two.

Even then Duo couldn't think of a girl more beautiful.

He shook his head and started to walk away. "Call your friend an ambulance."

The words came out monotone, dead.

As he turned his broad back on her he heard a sob, and then crying.

His heart clenched and he attempted to steel himself to it. For a moment he childishly hoped she felt every ounce of pain she deserved.

But he wasn't that guy and he never would be.

His steps stopped and he turned. She leaned against the wall and begun to sink down to the dirty ground.

He just couldn't leave her like this.

Striding back to her he resolved to find out. Why this had happened.

She was even worse off than he imagined. Crumpled on the ground she looked even smaller and more pitiful. The purse he had bought her for Christmas was clutched tightly to her breast.

He offered her his hand. She looked at it, then at him, and took it gingerly as if it might suddenly dissapear.

On her feet the top of her head came to just under his whiskery chin. She looked thin.

For a moment they just shared the silence of the night. Then Duo had to know.

"Why?"

The word came out almost a whisper. In that one syllable there housed volume upon volume of pain and anguish. It was all her fault, and she knew it.

A pause.

"I guess you deserve to know."

Her voice was sweet in his ears. He almost smiled. he had been starving to see and hear her again. But now was not the time to blindly forgive. No. he had to know.

She waited to be prompted again, realized she wouldn't be, and continued.

"I went out to club once. You were at work."

It was almost an accusation.

"And I got drunk. I found Scott and he took advantage of me back at his apartment. I got home and passed out before you got off. You got caught up working late."

His mind began to reel with the revelation that this had been going on longer than he had thought. He had to stay rational.

"At first he was sweet. He'd listen to what I had to say, to my complaints, and do whatever I wanted to do."

She pursed her lips. "It wasn't always sex."

For some reason Duo felt more hurt by the fact that they met up for more than sex. It made sense that they'd do more than that.

"Then he started to push to come to my--our--apartment. Then I told him about you. Of course he was furious. He threatened me at first. Then you. Then he just began to start drinking. I told him I wanted to end what we had."

Her voice was constricting and the words came out hoarse.

"He hit me. With an open hand and not even that hard, but he did it. He said if I didn't at least take him to the apartment once, he would kill me."

Despite himself he found that his body was moving forward to wrap his arms around her. He stilled himself. Too soon.

"So I brought him over. You were supposed to work late. I thought he'd leave me after I did this last thing for him." 

"Why would you think that?"

His words were pained and forced through a tight throat.

"I don't know. I just did. Duo, I know I was stupid. I was wrong."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She bowed her head and he saw tears begin to well up. "At first...things seemed better. He acted like he really cared for me. And he was always willing to shirk off work to see me."

Duo swallowed hard. "You don't regret it do you?"

She appeared genuinely shocked and hurt, "How could you think that? I'd take it all back if I could. It's just..."

She looked up into his face. "You were never around. Duo, I'm sorry."

He nodded stiffly and turned to walk away.

She grabbed his arm.

"Could you ever forgive me?"

"No."

The lie came out easy. The anguish in his voice probably helped convince her.

He left her there.


	5. Chapter 5

Duo's Song

By Jason Resno

A/N:This is Ch5. Below is the song that Duo 'wrote' and sung at the bar. it is really by "The Higher" and called _Movements_. It fit too perfectly to pass up.

What happened? The whole world was laying itself out to him. His future had glowing signs and arrows pointing him in the right direction. It was all so easy.

But then the world tipped back and poured himself and his dreams right out. Floating around in everything else that was this gross world, he was lost.

_Dressed up_

_What's up, movements_

_I can't control_

_I can't confess my fear_

_Don't Don't_

_Everybody has a reason_

_To call them all too young_

_You've cut me off to young_

He collapsed into onto the Yuys couch. His head was spinning. It moved so fast. Everything moved so fast.

A clammy hand went to his brow and he wiped off the beads of sweat that had begun to pool there. He had jogged over 15 miles back to the house. Everyone beat him back, of course, but they all understood his need to be alone.

The lights were off in the living room. Which was good. He didn't want to see anything right now.

_Messed up_

_Am I moving_

_I can't control_

_I can't predict my years_

_I fall so fast and careless_

_It's just something I do_

_It's not like_

_We don't know _

_What we're fighting for_

He felt sick. Not a stomach ache or a headache but something deeper and more jolting. The pain was more like his heart dropped down behind his naval and was threatening to explode.

It was unbearable. It was heartbreak. Today he truly faced everything he had ignored behind his sulky attitude. But not anymore.

It hurt him, so bad, that she would still go out and party with the guy that effectively ended their relationship...not that he deserved much credit. Hilde managed well enough to ruin it. Maybe it wasn't even that jerk offs fault. It was all Hildes.

_Dearly departed_

_Certain tragedy_

_When we started off_

_We were such an indestructible team_

_When you had your plans_

_I had my dreams_

But had he been wrong as well? Did working so much really hurt her so badly? Why wouldn't she just confront him? It's not like, when they were together, he didn't give her his everything.

A sigh broke the buzzing silence. Maybe he wasn't around enough. But that was no excuse.

He sat up on the couch and his head fell between his hands. He was beyond tears but a dry sob managed to break its way out of his throat.

Duo got up, shaking his head as if to clear cobwebs, and walked silently down the hall.

Heero had left their door open, which was completely uncharacteristic, but it was probably just so he could hear Duo when he got home. He couldn't resist peaking in.

Under the thick comforter Duo could just see Relenas head poking out. It was affectionately nuzzling against Heeros bare chest. She looked blissful.

Heero had a sharp line creasing his brow but was otherwise motionless. Asleep together.

He had that once.

A sharp pain shot across his heart at the thought and he continued down the hall. Reaching the bathroom he opened the medicine cabinets, quietly, and began rummaging around.

Tylenol. Ibuprofen. Dental Floss.

A-ha. Sleeping pills.

Duo frowned over the instructions on the back. They were so small and hard to read. Pocketing it he turned back down the hall towards his couch.

He plopped down and put his feet up on the table. Glancing down at the television remote he briefly thought of watching some television. Changing his mind he grabbed the half empty beer he had from early and began chugging it.

It clanked as he sat it, empty, back on the table. He grabbed the sleeping pills.

_Lessons that I'm learning_

_I have the world suspended in my hands._

_Would you know we'd kill it_

_Just me and you girl_

_It's not like_

_We don't know_

_What we're fighting for_

Outside it was still dark as ever but Duo knew from the sounds of the birds that it was getting closer to dawn. He was still awake.

He tapped on the cap of another cold bottle of beer and then opened it. Heero would be pissed Duo was drinking it. Oh well.

Taking a long draught he set it next to the two empty bottles on the coffee table. He picked up the innocent bottle of pills and twisted the cap open. He dropped one into the rough palm of his hand. A dark thought shook him. He tapped a few more pills out of the bottle.

_Dearly departed_

_Certain tragedy_

_When we started off_

_We were such an indestructible team_

_When you had your plans_

_I had my dreams_

This wasn't a good idea, probably. But neither were a lot of things he had done. Or Hilde had done. That's just how life is.

The tears he thought he had avoided began to well up in the corners of his wide and oddly boyish eyes.

_Dearly departed_

_You know you messed things_

_That's how you lost my trust_

_Now your lost_

_It's all because_

_You were not strong enough_

_We forget_

_We forget_

_How come this always happens to me_

_It's such a certain tragedy_

Three. No four. Five. How many did he have to take? He wanted to sleep. To really _sleep_.

His hand was shaking unsteadily as it tapped out even more. He looked down at the candy like pills in his hand. There were at least ten.

That would be enough.

_Passion, listen_

_He's slippin, switchin'_

_On these unsteady floors_

_Overloaded with emotion_

_No one even knows him_

He threw them into his mouth like so many skittles before hand and picked up his half empty beer. He held it halfway to his mouth, his soft lips were quivering. His heart was beating unsteadily in his chest. He paused.

_Dearly departed_

_Certain tragedy_

_When we started off_

_We were such an indestructible team_

_When you had your plans_

_I had my dreams_

His eyes were wide and dilated. Sweat was rolling down his forehead, matting his hair down. Every boyish dark feature stood out tenfold in the dim light. of the rising sun.

He put the bottle to his lips.

_Dearly departed_

_You know you messed things up_

_That's how you lost my trust_

_Now you're lost_

_It's all because_

_You were not strong enough_

A/N: Cliffhanger. Oh no! I have no idea what happens next everybody so no use in asking. I'm writing as the ideas pop into my head. I never realized that I would be able to flesh this story out for so long. I had initially planned for a three chapter story but...well...if they stay entertaining they'll keep coming!


	6. Chapter 6

Redemption

by Jason Resno

A/N: You guys have earned this chapter. It's been so long and I apologize so much. Enjoy it and also know that I am going to try and update this story every Wednesday or so!

Young Duo Maxwell was a second away from deciding on something he could never undo. His heart exploded over and over in painful pulses in his chest and his eyes closed tightly in some serene and horrific impersonation of sleep.

Then his jaw exploded in fire and his body was flying to the ground. The bottle of pills was flung out of his hands and were thrown clear from their container like so many ripped skittle bags before.

The braided pilot landed on the carpet with a rough _thud_ and then was still.

'Am I dead?'

He groaned and began to prop himself on his elbows when he was roughly slammed back onto the ground. His head bounced and pain seared through his skull.

"What's...what?" His words came out slurred and sluggish. Drunk.

He felt a heavy weight as a man pinned him down.

"You stupid bastard." The words came out punctuated with rage.

Duo opened his eyes all the way and almost shuddered. He looked into the very visage of Death.

"Did you swallow?"

An uncomprehending silence.

"Duo did you swallow any?" There was a twinge of worry tangled in Heeros furious monotone.

"No...Heero..."

Duo Maxwell, God of Death, began to tremble. He brought his arms up and wrapped them around his head.

For a moment there was complete silence and then Duo snorted a small laugh.

Heero groaned inwardly, had he finally cracked?

"How could I have swallowed any? You swatted them _eeeverrywhere._"

The boy moments away from suicide laughed again. A real and genuine laugh.

The Perfect Soldier was at a loss and then despite himself he cracked a dry grin. But at that moment his younger friend exploded into real sobs.

"I don't...I don't...I"

Heero instinctively pulled Duo to a sitting position and cradled his drunk and bereft friend.

For a moment he was lost in a flashback. Blonde hair clouding his vision and tears pouring and pouring...never stopping...

He shook his head and muttered quietly, "It's fine. You're ok."

Disregarding those meager words of comfort Duo plunged on.

"I'm so sorry. I knew it was wrong. Heero. I saw her tonight."

From down the hall Relena silently watched, a knowing glint in her eye.

TO LOVE TO LIVE TO LOSE

Trowa dropped back a few yards and threw the pigskin. It spiraled in the sunlight of the beautiful day.

Duo, wearing an uncharacteristic pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt, jumped lightly to catch the ball.

"Nice toss Trow."

The unibanged former pilot smiled and laughed. "Jealous I see."

Duo faked a frown and threw his own spiral right back. Trowa caught it easily and then immediately dropped the ball.

"Throwin' bullets out here."

From a spread blanket fifteen or so yards away Relena, Heero, Catherine and Quatre watched and ate their lunch.

Relena took a draught of her coke and slapped a sloppy kiss on Heeros cheek. He glared at her, returned the kiss, and then immediately decided to go play catch with the other two.

His beautiful blond wife stuck her tongue out at his back.

"He's no fun." She took a bite from her sandwich and smiled at her friends.

Quatre, dressed as proper as ever in his khaki pants and dress t shirt, smiled with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'm so glad we all survived the war."

Catherine nodded with a small smile as she let her fingers trace the small of Quatres palm. He leaned over and lightly kissed her on the lips.

The two didn't know of Duo's attempted suicide and nor did Relena think it right for them to be told. Some things...some things are just better left a secret...

With chocolate bangs dancing Heero jumped into the air and in front of the braided pilot in time to perfectly intercept the ball. He landed on the green grassy field lightly and then quickly fired the ball back at their friend, Trowa.

"Hey, no fair!" The protest was half hearted and ruined by a grin.

"It's not fair that you can't keep up, Maxwell."

Heero and Duo both turned around in time to see Chang WuFei jog towards them from the parking lot. Five yards behind him trailed Sally, arms loaded with foodstuff and drinks.

"Hey Chang."

"Hey Heero."

"Sup Wuff?"

Wufei bit back his typical angered response and just let a smile play at the tip of his lips. A very feigned smile.

Trowa nodded, his forest green eyes sparkling in the sunlight, and fired a perfect pass down field. Wufei ran and easily caught up with the throw. The ball fell into his hands.

Wufei threw the ball back and then stretched his arms. "Vacation really gets you out of shape."

From the picnic blanket Sally grimaced, "Not vacation...it was a honeymoon!"

Wufei snorted and laughed a genuine laugh. Marriage had done him well. Lines that seemed to have aged his face during the war all but dissapeared. He was no less stoic, of course, but he did understand how to enjoy a real joke or two.

He was dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a red t shirt hung loosely on his muscular frame. His wedding band glinted in the sunlight on his hand.

Duo glanced at the ring balefully but quickly dismissed any notion of becoming upset. Today was perfect.

"Hey Q-Tip get out here we need an all time QB!" 

From the blanket Quatre began to shake his head but Catherine whispered something in his ear. His eyes widened and he nodded slowly.

A minute later he was on the field warming up his arm.

"Aight," Duo surveyed the other men on the field. "Being first team captain I pick...Wuff!"

Wufei groaned but kept his head held high. This was competition after all.

Trowa grinned hugely and looked at Heero, "I guess I'm stuck with the _perfect soldier_. I'll take him."

And so the men became boys of a childhood they never were granted. Running back and forth in the grass...ruining jeans...laughing and sometimes yelping from a surprise tackle (which had Relena immediately scolding Heero for being too rough and would leave Duo blushing)...and the game was good. Heero would score a touchdown (to the catcalls of Relena) or Quatre would break a tackle and run it down the field himself to earn the whoops of Catherine (which was a further admonishment to her brother, Trowa). The game was fun and it was the first time any of the players relaxed in a long time.

TO LOVE LIVE LOSE

Duo collapsed onto the picnic blanket, now strewn with food, and leaned his head slightly in one direction so as to survey his choices. Sweat pooled down his face and various grass and dirt stains had appeared on at least 60 of his body. But he grinned a real grin for the first time in days.

Heero sat, leaning back on his arms, next to Relena as she eased a bottle of water to his mouth. He winked at her and she blushed.

Trowa sat off to the farthest corner of the wide blanket with his phone on his lap. Every few minutes it would buzz to life and the long banged pilot would grab it and read the text message with a smile before sending his own back.

There was much gossip as to who was on the other end of the line. Some said it was one Midii Une...still others thought of a Dorothy Catalonia...all thought it was an enjoyable topic to groom to make their stoic friend anxious.

Wufei had a plate loaded with sandwiches and chips and had Sally in his lap helping to feed him. Often he'd forget the food and instead plant a passionate kiss on to her soft and inviting lips.

Slowly the sun eased out of the way and let the moon and stars take over. The air was cool and inviting on their bodies.

"A crystal clear night to cap off a perfect day." Quatre grinned and raised a glass of wine.

Duo grinned broadly and raised a beer, "I'll toast to that!"

The American threw back the drink and gulped it down. Only Heero saw the agonized glint in his eyes.

Duo fell back with his hands behind his head. All was well.

Well, until Duo noticed a very familiar woman emerging from a very familiar car. He blanched.

A/N: That's all for now folks! I'm sorry for such the long delay. I was really suffering from lack of motivation. But have no fear. I'm back. I'll try to update this once a week. I think I'm only going to have a chapter or two more after this...not much more of the story to tell! There may be a sequel later on after I finish my other story, "The First Day" (check it out. gundam wing and zombies.) Other than that just review! All people who leave comments get cookies!


	7. Chapter 7

Black Hole Sun

By Jason Resno

A/N Wow, this one is coming fast huh? I guess that is what happens when you work 8.5 hours at a computer-desk job with little to no interruption...from anyone. Well, we are winding down! Here is the grand finale.

A silence descended over the friends as their once relaxed calm became a tense one. Duo could hear crickets chirping in the cool evening and bats somewhere above eating insects out of the sky.

Hilde Schbeiker ducked out of her Scion and began walking across the way towards what used to be her best friends. Yeah, she had messed up; there was no doubt about it. Things got out of control fast.

Shaking her head resolutely she refused to think of it. She dumped that dirt bag at the curb and was never going back to that lifestyle. Not that he'd want her anyway...his jaw was broken from her "pretty boy ex". She allowed a small smile to grace her pale pixie face.

For something as normal as meeting her friends at a park two months ago...she was sick to her stomach with nerves. _Well, I guess this isn't exactly a normal situation. Everyone knows what I did. They have to hate me_. Tears threatened to pool at her dark and bag-heavy eyes. _No tears. Not anymore._

Duos face was crimson but nobody knew which emotion placed it there--anger, nervousness or what have you. Thankfully Heero found his tongue first.

"What're you doing here?"

Prussian eyes narrowed through unruly chocolate hair and his entire visage was threatening...this in extreme contrast to the image of him laying on his elbows stargazing with a pretty honey blond head on his chest. She slapped him on the stomach and he grunted.

Hilde, clearly shaken by his response, threw a hand to rub at her eyes. To Duo she looked so young and so fragile...he wanted to scoop her up and protect her from anything and everything. Even well meaning best friends.

"I just...came to talk to Duo."

Heero snorted and looked away. Relena shot a pitying smile to Hilde, who was now standing at the foot of their blanket.

Wufei and Sally exchanged a glance with eyebrows raised. Having been on their honeymoon they were quite out of the loop. But Sally, being a doctor, attempted to heal the situation.

"I'm not going to pretend to know what happened," she paused looking around, "but I think that we should let them talk. Come on, everyone up, let's go."

Wufei nodded in assent and grabbed their picnic supplies. Heero gave Relena a meaningful glance and grunted a relenting noise. The perfect soldier scooped the blond into his arms and walked off to her gently giggling.

Quatre and Catherine shared a meaningful glance and then looked back and smiled at Hilde. As they walked towards their BMW they each gave her a small hog, one she reciprocated gratefully. Trowa did likewise and as they were embraced he whispered something into her ear. She nodded and he left to get in the backseat of Quatre's vehicle.

Finally they were alone. An uncomfortable silence filled the air and threatened to strangle them both.

"Can I sit down?"

Duo, who had been watching this all happen as if in a dream, snapped back to reality at her voice. His heart surged and he fought back every instinct in his soul to wrap her in his strong arms and kiss her senseless, to make her _his_ again.

His voice, however, came out chilled. "There's plenty of blanket. Sure."

She bit her lip and emotion stormed in her eyes.

Never taking his eyes off her, or hers off him, she plopped down--forgetting any manner of "lady like" etiquette--and grabbed a Coke out of the only cooler left. She opened it and took a drink, enjoying the burning sensation as it slid down her throat.

"Duo..."

"You remember my name?" His voice came out with all the malice a broken heart could leak.

It was enough to turn the facet in her heart. Tears began to spill hotly down her cheeks and the chestnut haired man died a little inside. Even now seeing her cry could kill him.

She fought to master herself, "Of course I do! You're all I can think about anymore."

Again malice sprang forth, "Only when you're not bangin' your friend right?"

The strangest thing happened, and it wasn't that Heero had pulled and distributed binoculars to his friends waiting in their cars a block away, Hilde got angry. She scowled.

"Ah finally the girl I remember!" Duo let loose an almost real laugh.

Hilde set the can of pop down calmly and in a change of emotions that only a woman could truly master...she was at his throat with both hands on his shoulders.

"He's done and gone! I've realized what I've done Duo. I've realized it!"

Her words came out in a ball of fury only to be combated by the tears that sprang angrily from the corners of her pretty eyes.

"Believe me! I spend every night at home crying myself to sleep knowing you are out there hating me. It's killing me Duo! _Killing me_!"

Taken entirely aback Duo, for the first time in his life, was speechless. But being an ex soldier one had to adapt to extreme situations. So he got angry too.

The braided pilot sat up from his leaning position on his elbows and thrust his face at hers. They were mere inches away, nose to nose, and the fire in their eyes threatened to burn them both.

"Killing _you_! You want to know about dying? Do you babe? You were my everything. My _everything_! My past, my preset and my future. All of those things were twined with you. All of them! I wanted to get married to you. To grow old with you. To have a few rascal children we could raise and give the childhood we never had. I wanted it all! I wanted the damn white fence and the dog and the two kids. I wanted the 9 to 5 job so I could come home to dinner to you every night. My God Hilde. You _are _everything to me."

Duo searched her face like he had so many nights before and saw in it everything he'd ever wanted out of life. The only face so beautiful and so loving that it could literally destroy him. Tears welled in her beautiful eyes but still she said nothing.

Subconsciously, a routine of the past, his hand went and held her own small one. His calloused fingers winding the way through her soft digits. His voice lowered and the fire in his eyes softened.

She let her head fall foreword and lean against his brow. The tears fell full force then. A never-ending waterfall of regret and emotions. She didn't stop to yell at him some more. She didn't try to explain herself. Instead she buried her head into the chest of the only man that ever understood her. He pulled her tight and close and began to rub her back.

_Damnit Maxwell...you're a creature of habit._

He didn't know how much time had passed...nor did he care. There was something medicating about the experience and he didn't quite know what. As he held her he looked up into the sky and let out a prayer for wisdom and for strength.

"Duo..." The words were breathed hotly onto his arms. Her lips were gently grazing them and the touch made a bolt of lightning jump up his spine.

He grunted in baritone to let her know he was listening but inside his heart shook like a wet flower fighting the storm.

She raised her head off of his chest and looked him straight in the eyes. The blatant pain and torture that shone through her pretty visage almost made the grizzled soldier turn away.

She leaned in and he half expected her to begin crying again but instead she did the one thing that could shatter his resistance.

He gulped loudly, and his heart beating double time, as she set her cheek against his own stubbly cheek. The corners of their lips barely touched. More chills down his spine.

"Duo..." she repeated quietly but the emotion that raged and boiled in the word was enough to stun him. "I want it all back. I need your forgiveness. I need another chance."

The world paused and that moment there was no noise. In a park in a city two lovers were being granted a second chance.

Inwardly he groaned as he lost the battle with his carnal self. He reached up and gently took her face in his hands. Turning her ever so slightly leaned his brow into her brow. She began to talk but he shook his head slowly.

No. Words were not enough.

Instead he leaned forward and gently placed his lips against hers. An experiment, at first, to probe and feel for the passion of just last month. She groaned quietly with longing and he put his hands on her waist.

The kiss deepened and a floodgate was opened. Both were virtually soaked in the chilling waters of forgiveness and redemption. Duo tasted it again. He tasted the summer afternoons spent at their friend's pools. He tasted the blooming of flowers and the eventuality of children. He embraced the enhanced feelings that contact could create.

Pulling her hard against his own chest she continued the kiss only to now and then reach into the well with her tongue and flicker back. He would groan and in his heart know that everything was possible again...

The past was not gone. Their problems were not erased but instead they were put into a safe. A safe that would always be there for them.

In his mind Duo knew there would be work needed. There would be problems and road bumps of every kind. There would be friends to convince.

All that was pushed out of his mind, however, as it was replaced by the key in the lock. With the ability to love and forgive...it was all possible.

Heero nodded grimly and turned the keys in his ignition. He gave Relena his binoculars and then backed out and drove off. "They're going to be fine."

His beautiful and blond wife smiled up at him, a radiating thing, and clasped his hand. "I know. Love finds it's way."

END

A/N-It is done. The burden that sat on my shoulders for months as I struggled to find the passion to finish this story. But I did and I'm, right now, really glad I found a way. But I would never have done it without you guys reviewing and adding my story to your lists. I owe it all to you!

Now that the story is over leave some reviews and comments. Love it? Hate it? Are you glad they ended up "back together" or would you rather have left them apart?

I know there are some things I left open ended (Who was Trowa texting? What did he whisper in Hilde's ear? What happened between Heero and Relena? Sally and Wufei got married..what?!) but if this gets enough feedback I will think about writing a follow up that tries to answer all of those questions and more..as well as a look back into the lives of Duo and Hilde later on down the road.

Anyways. I love you guys and thank you for everything.


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